Primis Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:FRST) Short Interest Update
by Amy Steele · The Cerbat GemPrimis Financial Corp. (NASDAQ:FRST – Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 292,821 shares, a growth of 19.4% from the December 31st total of 245,184 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 65,591 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.5 days. Currently, 1.3% of the company’s stock are sold short. Currently, 1.3% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 65,591 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.5 days.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Zacks Research raised shares of Primis Financial from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, October 13th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Primis Financial from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Primis Financial in a report on Monday, December 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $1.00.
Get Our Latest Stock Report on FRST
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Primis Financial
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of FRST. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in Primis Financial in the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Primis Financial by 290.2% during the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 2,345 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 1,744 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Primis Financial by 154.8% during the second quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 4,555 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 2,767 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC increased its position in shares of Primis Financial by 135.7% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 7,402 shares of the company’s stock worth $78,000 after purchasing an additional 4,262 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its stake in Primis Financial by 278.2% in the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 7,742 shares of the company’s stock valued at $81,000 after purchasing an additional 5,695 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.96% of the company’s stock.
Primis Financial Stock Performance
Shares of NASDAQ FRST traded up $0.04 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $14.14. 93,092 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 71,214. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $348.41 million, a P/E ratio of 7.33 and a beta of 0.77. Primis Financial has a 52-week low of $7.59 and a 52-week high of $14.38. The company has a 50-day moving average of $13.04 and a 200-day moving average of $11.64.
Primis Financial (NASDAQ:FRST – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $0.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.34 by ($0.24). The firm had revenue of $80.87 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $30.01 million. Primis Financial had a net margin of 18.78% and a return on equity of 4.11%. Analysts forecast that Primis Financial will post 1.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Primis Financial Announces Dividend
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. Primis Financial’s dividend payout ratio is presently 20.73%.
Primis Financial announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Thursday, December 18th that allows the company to buyback $750,000.00 in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to purchase up to 0.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.
Primis Financial Company Profile
Primis Financial Corporation is a bank holding company headquartered in Waycross, Georgia, operating through its wholly owned subsidiary, Primis Bank. The company offers a full suite of commercial and retail banking services tailored to meet the needs of individuals, small businesses, and agricultural clients across its service area. Primis Bank focuses on building relationships within the communities it serves, positioning itself as a local financial partner for deposit-taking, lending, and treasury management solutions.
Primis Bank maintains a network of branch offices throughout southeastern Georgia, serving a combination of rural and suburban markets.